Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Sunday said that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) support for Republican Senate nominee and former NFL star Herschel Walker would contribute to a boost for Walker but difficulties remain when it comes to an outright win.
“He would be the first human being who ever dragged Herschel Walker over the goal line,” Christie, an ABC contributor, said on the network’s “This Week.”
“Brian Kemp, people wondered whether he would go all-in or not. He has. With his staff he has been out there personally campaigning for Walker,” Christie said.
But the former governor predicted that while Kemp’s support will likely boost Walker, the race is likely to remain neck and neck.
The Georgia Senate race went into a runoff after neither candidate snagged more than half of the vote, but incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) was still a percentage point ahead of Walker when that call was made.
“I think it’s going to be very close. These Georgia elections have been very close. I think it will be close,” Christie said.
The race had been seen ahead of the midterms as a critical pickup opportunity for Republicans aiming to take control of the Senate, but Democrats have already won just enough seats to keep their majority — a reality that Christie forecasts will hurt Republicans’ messaging in the runoff.
“Warnock appears to have momentum. And let’s face it, he came into this with a lead from election night, right? So Walker has got ground to make up. … What hurts the Republicans the most is you can’t argue now that this is for control. If it was for control, some people who have some misgivings about Herschel Walker would probably be willing to abandon those in order to prevent Democrats from getting control. But now that control is not up, I think that may hurt Republican turnout a little bit,” Christie said.
The Georgia runoff is in its home stretch, set to conclude on Tuesday, Dec. 6.